Kaleem Aftab
Kaleem Aftab is a film critic, author of the biography “Spike Lee: That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It,” and Director of International Programming for the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Articles By
Cannes Shows Cinema is Back, but Issues Remain in Allowing Different Voices to Flourish By Kaleem Aftab - Jun 5, 2022
Cannes is back, baby! For the first time since the pandemic sent us into a global hibernation, the world’s most glamorous film festival took place without social distancing and mask-wearing. First, the good news, Cannes had a great atmosphere. Only the Oscars garner more public attention, but it happens over one night, whereas Cannes is … Continue reading “Cannes Shows Cinema is Back, but Issues Remain in Allowing Different Voices to Flourish”
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Shows Hollywood Can No Longer Afford to Be America First By Kaleem Aftab - May 21, 2022
The most famous line from “Top Gun,” the 1986 fighter-jet movie that made Tom Cruise internationally renowned, was “I feel the need, the need for speed.” And now, 36 years after the world was introduced to Maverick, Iceman and Goose, a nostalgia fueled sequel jets into the Cannes Film Festival and then onto our cinema … Continue reading “‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Shows Hollywood Can No Longer Afford to Be America First”
Boycotting Russia Isn’t that Simple. Just Ask the Film Industry By Kaleem Aftab - Mar 26, 2022
The invasion of Ukraine has led to war not just on the battlefield, but in the areas of trade and culture also. The troops rolled in. Global corporations have stopped doing business in Russia. At the same time, cultural bodies like the Ukrainian Film Academy have called for the international film community to boycott Russian films. Just days after Vladimir Putin’s tanks crossed … Continue reading “Boycotting Russia Isn’t that Simple. Just Ask the Film Industry”
Comedy Is Essential For Filmmakers to Access the Darkest Subjects By Kaleem Aftab - Feb 25, 2022
Are there some true stories that are just too serious to be told as comedies? It’s a question that comes to mind because of “Rabiye Kurnaz Vs. George W. Bush,” a film about how Murat Kurnaz was locked away for five years in Guantanamo Bay without trial, which played to raucous laughter in the main … Continue reading “Comedy Is Essential For Filmmakers to Access the Darkest Subjects”
The Fall and Rise of Film Festivals in the Middle East By Kaleem Aftab - Jan 31, 2022
The fourth edition of the Al Ain Film Festival took place this week at a time when there seems to be an influx of movie industry events in the Middle East. There were festivals in El Gouna, Cairo, Ajyal (an outstanding young person’s festival in Doha) and then in December, Saudi Arabia – where cinema … Continue reading “The Fall and Rise of Film Festivals in the Middle East”